When he contemplated opening his fifth restaurant in 11 years, Chef Douglas Rodriguez knew what he had to do.
“I felt there was a big need for a seafood restaurant in Miami Beach’s South of Fifth neighborhood,” says the 45-year-old chef known for his Nuevo Latino cuisine. “I want to make a difference, to ensure that 20 years from now my children and grandchildren know what Chilean sea bass tastes like. There are lots of great seafood products out there that are farmed sustainably and taste delicious, and they fill all the needs of a seafood restaurant.”
The James Beard award-winning chef is the man behind the Rodriguez Hospitality Group whose restaurants include Alma de Cuba in Philadelphia, Deseo in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Loa at Sanctuary and D. Rodriguez Cuba at The Hotel Astor, both on Miami Beach.
De Ocean Rodriguez opened Oct. 7 just off the lobby of the Hilton Bentley Hotel, which is located on South Beach's famed Ocean drive. The restaurant menu features around 20 seafood species, 80 percent of which are sustainably harvested. Rodriguez’ goal was to increase that percentage to 100 by the end of the year.
To read the rest of the story, click here. Written by SeaFood Business Contributing Editor Lauren Kramer, the feature appeared in the December issue of SeaFood Business magazine.
